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Domain: philipkdick.com

Stories and comments across the archive that link to philipkdick.com.

Comments · 54

  1. Re:even more evil? by J.+Random+Software · · Score: 1 · on Trimming Television to Sell More Ads

    Found it: On CBS News, Some of What You See Isn't There. They seem to think it's okay as long as they don't replace anything newsworthy (the Astrovision in Times Square obviously doesn't count, probably because NBC is paying for that).

  2. Microsoft rips off "Ubiquitous Computing" by SimHacker · · Score: 2 · on Consumer Electronics Show 2002 Report
    I saw Bill Gates give the keynote address at CES, and he demonstrated several interesting technologies including wireless web pads, tablets, and ".NET" services.

    What he didn't mention is that Microsoft never invented those things -- they're simply exploiting the "Ubiquitous Computing" research developed by other people at Xerox PARC, MIT Media Lab, and many others places.

    Our product ConnectedTV, which we demonstrated at CES, is also inspired by the same Ubiquitous Computing research, as well as using other proven user interface techniques like pie menus.

    Besides the personalized TV guide and universal remote control, it has many useful home control applications, as well. For an idea of where it's heading, please read some the literature.

    We owe a lot to pioneering researchers like the late Mark Weiser (director of Xerox PARC Computer Science Lab), and visionary writers like the late Philip K Dick. May they forever continue to guide and inspire us from half-life.

    -Don

    "I am Ubik. Before the universe was, I am. I made the suns. I made the worlds. I created the lives and the places they inhabit; I move them here, I put them there. They go as I say, then do as I tell them. I am the word and my name is never spoken, the name which no one knows. I am called Ubik, but that is not my name. I am. I shall always be."

    -Glenn Runciter

  3. Re:Total Recall by localroger · · Score: 2 · on Star Wars Most Violent Movie Ever?

    My favorite TR quote -- "More people died in Total Recall than in all of Philip K. Dick's books and stories put together."

  4. ignore parent post (tag missing). by Matthew+Smith · · Score: 1 · on It's Official: Deckard Was A Replicant
    Fixed version aka "directors cut":)

    What the ----? OK, one of the major underlying themes of BladeRunner (at least for me) was the question of what defines a human, and whether a "human" like Deckard could fall in love with a replicant (like Rachel). Changing Deckard to a replicant sort of blows the whole meaning of the film in that regard, and pretty much makes the humans into the bad guys overall.

    What makes you say that this defeats the meaning of the film? Given your point of view the fact that Deckard is a replicant enhances it!

    If Deckard is a replicant which can fall in love with another replicant or otherwise what exactly makes him different from any other human being apart from the way he was brought into this world? This is the big question that PKD asks in his novels. What is it that makes us human? Is it our thoughts, our emotions, our memories or something else. Since the definition of a human is nonexistent it's quite conceivable that one day our planet will be populated by beings that will meet the common criteria for "humanity". PKD asks us how we are going to relate to those beings and gives one possible (gloomy) scenario. This is one of his favourite themes. You shoul read the Androids book (if you haven't already) and We can build you to see slightly different approaches to this issue. I vaguely remember that Martian time slip also had paragraphs relating to that. Anyhow a visit to www.philipkdick.com will give you more food for thought than my stupid blabbing. Take care.